Recent news

New research has found that despite a growing body of research which supports the use of acupuncture for depression and anxiety, a huge percentage of sufferers were unaware this ancient practice could be used to help their condition.

Earlier this month we blogged about a recent UK-based study which suggested acupuncture could be just as effective as counselling for sufferers of depression. Only a few weeks later, additional research was carried out in a bid to find out how many sufferers would consider this complementary therapy as a treatment option, and how many sufferers even knew it was an option.

The study in question was carried out by the British Acupuncture Council and Anxiety UK, to mark World Mental Health Day which took place on Thursday 10th October.

To ensure you are reaping the benefits of a good night’s sleep (as discussed in our last blog), be sure to relax and unwind before bed.

With work emails, social networks and everything else the World Wide Web has to offer all available at our fingertips, it is unsurprising many of us struggle to ‘un-plug’ and unwind before bed. Many of us are caught in a trap of checking our smartphones throughout the evening and even while we’re in bed about to hit the hay.

A recent study has revealed that the brain uses sleep to eliminate the leftover toxins that accumulate during a day of thinking.

The study in question, which was carried out in the US and has since been published in the journal Science, revealed that brain cells actually shrink during sleep in order to create gaps between neurons that allow fluid to wash the brain clean.

The US team responsible for the study believe this process of removing ‘waste’ could be one of the fundamental reasons for sleep.

In addition, the scientists have also suggested that failing to expel some of the toxic proteins may be linked to the development of brain disorders.

For some people yoga is no more than a pleasurable hobby, for others it is a valuable therapy that helps them cope with pain and illness.

The 5,000-year-old Indian discipline of yoga involves a combination of meditation, breathing exercises and postures to help improve flexibility and strength as well as mental well-being.

Maggie’s Cancer Centre is a charity providing emotional, practical and social support to people with cancer. As part of their unique programme, the charity offers yoga classes with instructor Finlay Wilson, who says:

“Yoga can be beneficial for everyone but for people with cancer I think it is particularly helpful for a number of different reasons,...

Do you want to Zen out at work? Read our simple guide to help you introduce Feng Shui to your workspace

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice involving organising physical objects in a particular way so as to attract positive energy. The art of Feng Shui is based on the idea that everything in our surrounding environment has an impact on our inner life, and thus the placement of objects in a certain space will impact the flow of chi (life force) within that space.

The office can be an uncomfortable environment – think stiff chairs, bad lighting and constant disruptions. So, if you’re looking to feel more at ease at work and you want to set some good vibrations flowing around your desk, see our tips below on how to Feng Shui your desk.

As this week was Back Care Awareness Week, we thought now was a good time to learn how to sit correctly to prevent back pain.

For many of us, using ergonomic equipment is the only way we can get ourselves in the right position when seated, but if we took a few tips from babies, this could all be avoided.

Babies learn to sit up all on their own. Sure, mothers do help out a little by propping their babies up, but ultimately it is all down to the baby figuring out how to align their spine and balance that heavy head. The key to their success is the rather oddly shaped pelvis bone. When babies are able to rest their weight on the pubis ramus at the front of the sit bones,...

If you suffer from chronic pain, see below for our top pick of alternative treatments.

Chronic pain is pain that persists for longer than six months. The level of pain differs from patient to patient, with some only experiencing inconvenient episodes of mild pain and others experiencing completely incapacitating constant pain.

Often, the source of chronic pain is difficult to pinpoint and measure, and it not something a doctor can instantly fix with a short prescription.

In many cases it takes a considerable length of time to diagnose, after which painkillers are prescribed. Of...

A professor in Germany is exploring the role of light therapy within chronic pain management.

Pain specialist, Prof Thomas Tolle is starting a new trial using specially designed lighting that imitates a blue summer sky as a complementary therapy for chronic pain patients. Prof Tolle has cautioned that it is too early to produce results, however initial signs are good.

Chronic pain is a worldwide problem, affecting 14 million people in the UK alone (according to the Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, CPPC). The term chronic pain refers to a pain that persists beyond the normal time for healing or an on-going pain that occurs due to a disease such as fibromyalgia.

Managing such pain requires more than painkillers alone. Research shows that 30% of those suffering with chronic pain will have a depressive disorder, 30% will have an anxiety disorder...

New findings suggest acupuncture could be just as effective as counselling for depression.

York University researchers recruited 755 people with moderate to severe depression. They were then split into three groups: those who had usual NHS care, those who had weekly acupuncture sessions, and those who had weekly counselling.

After three months everybody’s depression levels were rated and compared with the scores they’d given before the experiment.

Before the experiment, patients had an average depression level of 16 out of 27 (the higher the number the more severe the depression).

After the experiment, people assigned to the acupuncture group dropped to a score of nine, which is seen as the higher end of mild depression. In the counselling group, scores dropped by five points to 11, and in the usual care group, they...